(8 February 2024, the Hague)

Excellency ambassadors, 

Colleagues from the ministries of the Dutch government,  

Excellency Director General Mr. Fernando Arias

Distinguished guests, friends,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for coming to our Spring Festival reception.

My wife says I look more handsome in my national dress. 

The Year of the Dragon will start on the 10th of February. It’s just around the corner.

I wish you all Happy Spring Festival, all the best in the Year of the Dragon!

Among all the 12 zodiac animals, dragon, unlike the others, is a legendary one, and has become a totem of the Chinese culture.

We Chinese call ourselves descendants of dragon.

Emperors of China used it to represent imperial power.

Dragon is a symbol of strength and wisdom. 

Unlike in some western countries, it’s auspicious.  

Spring Festival is the most important traditional holiday in China. I wish to highlight two of its salient features.  

It is for family reunion.

People are expected to return to their hometown and get-together with family members, to renew the bond.  

Starting from Jan 26 to March 5 this year, for a period of 40 days, we call it Spring Festival travel rush, 9 billion passenger trips are being made, the largest human migration on earth. 

What a scale!

I am sharing the number, not to intimidate, but to impress.

Also, at the start of the year, it is the moment to hope and pray, lifting the spirit. 

So, along that line, allow me to make some best wishes for the Year of the Dragon.

My first high expectation is on China’s high-quality development.

China will continue to reform deeper and open wider, getting more connected with the rest of the world, and hopefully, more integrated into the global economy.   

One case in point is that foreign investors can now have 100% ownership of the banking and insurance companies they set up in China.

Another concrete example: 2024 is a visa free year for citizens from the Netherlands and some other countries visiting China for a stay within 15 days. This is a unilateral arrangement.  

It is not just about promoting tourism. Increased exchanges help enhance understanding, which is the bedrock for good relations.

High-quality development also means environmental-friendly.

According to the International Energy Agency, over the past several years, China accounts for more than half of the newly installed renewable energy capacity globally. China is the champion in green transition. 

Our economic growth rate last year was 5.2%, making 30% contribution to global growth, a true engine. 

Hope we will do equally well this year, or even better.

We are confident and optimistic, as we have a clear strategy, the strong leadership, and a hardworking people with entrepreneurial and innovative culture.

My second high expectation is on Sino-Dutch relations.

In 2014, when President Xi Jinping visited the Netherlands, our two sides decided to develop the “open and pragmatic partnership for comprehensive cooperation”.

This year marks the 10th anniversary.

We have achieved a lot of fruitful results, though at the same time facing challenges.  

We regard the Netherlands as a large economy, also the gateway to China-EU cooperation.

We look forward to working with the new government, once it is formed. Anyone here who knows when, kindly let me know. My many thanks in advance.

In the meantime, we will of course continue to cooperate closely with the current caring-taking government, to promote our ties.  

Last Friday, Premier Li Qiang and Prime Minister Mark Rutte had a very good phone call.

We will join hands with colleagues in the government to promote exchanges at all levels.

Thirdly, we wish peace and development in the new year.

The Year of the Dragon will be eventful.

For one thing, there will be many elections, including - or especially - that of the US. That must be big, very consequential.

Because the US is the superpower, it has the trump card.

We do not interfere in other countries business, be it Africa or America. Nor do we want to become the victim of other countries’ domestic politics.

Fingers crossed.

We hope for peaceful settlement of the conflicts;

We hope there will be no new cold war;

We hope to ensure there is no chemical weapons;

We hope for substantial cooperation on issues like climate change, and artificial intelligence, which is a game changer, hopefully not a game over.

Indeed, we are confronted with grave challenges, and share our fate in the same boat. We need to unite, not to divide.

Like renewing the family bond, let’s strengthen the bond of humanity.

A shared future, a better world.

The Spring festival has been officially listed as a United Nations holiday by the UN General Assembly, starting from this year,

Let’s celebrate.

May I propose a toast,

To peace, development and cooperation,

To the friendship between the peoples of China and the Netherlands,

To the health and happiness of you all,

Cheers! Proost!

Thank you.